Bull Terrier

Bull Terriers were apparently too sweet, loving, and playful to fight, so they're handlers abandoned that idea and turned them into ratters instead. This was back in the old days in England. Today, this breed is a great family dog that's well known for its exercising abilities as well as its propensity to behave well around kids, adults, and families. You'll know the Bull Terrier by its distinct egg shaped head and triangle eyes. It's surely a charmer if you've ever seen one.

Continue reading to learn more about Bull Terriers, commonly known for being the breed that played Spuds MacKenzie on the Bud Light commercials in the late 1980s.

Popularity: Somewhat popular.

Trainability: You can definitely train a Bull Terrier, but it's going to take some practice and a special twist. These dogs love to have fun, so if training feels like work, they'll likely not pay much attention and want to do something else. The trick is to train patiently with positivity and humor and make games out of learning. The Bull Terrier will respond well to this and will learn with the best of them. These dogs are independent free-thinkers and will need lots of positive reinforcement with food and toys.

Size/Weight: Medium sized dogs, weighing in at an average of 45-80 pounds.

Origin Location/Date: Bull Terriers were first most popularly bred in England in the mid-1800s as a mix between the Bulldog and the Terrier dog. Each one had its benefits and breeders wished to create the best of both worlds. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885 and the Bull Terrier Club of America was founded in 1897.

Energy Level: While these dogs aren't considered to be the most demending when it comes to exercise, they do require at least an hour of good brisk exercise daily. These dogs are energetic, curious and really very intelligent and will benefit from focused daily walks and runs in addition to mental stimulation in the way of puzzle toys and various games that will challenge the dog's mind.

Temperament: Bull Terriers are friendly and fun to be around and are good at playing by themselves out in the yard. They're great family pets, but can become destructive if bored or if left unstimulated mentally. If you want to keep your Bull Terrier happy and mentally healthy, you'll challenge it daily with puzzles and games and play with it a lot.

Necessary Space: Since this isn't a large breed, it doesn't require a tremendous amount of space in which to live. Enough room in the house is good as is a large backyard in which the dog can play. You'll also need somewhere to walk this dog daily.

Talents: While the Bull Terrier does love its fun, it also excels at more serious things as well. Think bomb-detection, search and rescue, assisting the disabled, service dog, health alert and rescue dogs. But of course, they'll simply love to show off their agility, weight pull, carting and play flyball with you.

Life Expectancy: 12-13 years.

Group: Terrier group.

A few terms and phrases to describe the typical Bull Terrier puppy and dog: playful, charming, mischievous, sweet, amusing, a ratter, egg-shaped heads, trianular eyes, friendly, energetic, good with kids, good with families, comical, stubborn, devoted, exuberant, muscular, companionable and affectionate.

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